I am writing this to warn both homeowners and lenders about Ronald Hayes and Florence Appraisal. There is a clear and documented pattern of Mr. Hayes providing intentionally low appraisals, specifically within minority communities, depriving homeowners of tens of thousands in equity. In 2025, I had a property appraised that was 100% renovated, including a new roof, HVAC, windows, plumbing, kitchen, bathrooms, and a privacy fence. Due to previous experiences with appraisal bias, I paid for an independent, out-of-pocket appraisal first, which valued the home at $140,000. When the lender sent Mr. Hayes, I recognized him immediately from a similar "drive-by" style appraisal he conducted for me back in 2012. History repeated itself: despite the total renovation, Mr. Hayes's assessment came back at $90,000--a staggering $50,000 difference from the independent appraisal. The report was riddled with inaccuracies: False Data: He listed brand-new upgrades as being 1-5 years old. Poor Comparables: He used properties with no improvements and different lot sizes, seemingly pulling random data rather than conducting a professional analysis. Refusal to Communicate: When I called for an explanation, Mr. Hayes refused to answer a single question, told me to talk to the lender (despite me paying for the service), and ultimately hung up on me. Because of this unethical conduct, I am taking formal action. I have filed a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for lending discrimination and am reporting this violation of the Fair Housing Act to HUD's Fair Housing office. I am also submitting a formal grievance to the South Carolina Real Estate Appraisers Board to protect future homeowners from being deprived of their hard-earned equity. Lenders, do not use this firm if you value accuracy. Homeowners, if you see his name, request a different appraiser immediately. read more

Worst and most disrespectful appraiser I have ever worked with. I am having a house appraised for a refinance and have had nothing but trouble with Ronald Hayes. He was the suggested appraiser, but he refuses to answer questions related to his valuation. I understand that most would immediately think that I am simply unhappy with a low valuation; however, that is not the case. While I do believe the house is worth more, my complaint is with his process and logic getting to his low valuation. He was at my house for less than ten minutes. He didn't confirm any measurements, didn't note any features of the home, and took limited pictures. In fact, he was in such a rush to leave that he forgot to take half of the pictures he needed and he had to swing by the next day...for about two minutes. Even then, he only took one picture of a bricked storage workshop that has double garage doors and several hundred square feet of space because I was out in the building and mentioned it. He valued my house less than a home down the street that was built around the same time and that house has several hundred less square feet, it has one less bathroom, it lacks the outdoor storage building I just described, it has a single car garage on the home to my oversized double, and it is on a smaller lot. That home even sold for more than he appraised it, AND HE APPRAISED MINE FOR LESS SOMEHOW. The bank says I have to talk to him, but when I call he is openly rude, refuses to answer questions, and claimed that he would reconsider but did nothing at all. I am not doing business with the bank that suggested Ronald Hayes and I would suggest you do the same. The bank was still under the impression that a Mr. Chandler owned Florence Appraisal so he might be conning his references. He is the reason they lost my business though. They won't even get him on the phone to answer my questions. Why would I want to send them a a check every month? Ronald Hayes is a trash appraiser and a trash person. Avoid him at all costs. read more

I've used the appraisal services of this company twice. Once directly to appraise estate property and once indirectly to value my house for a refinance. Both times I felt their appraisals were fair and very fairly priced. I will definitely use their appraisal services again if I ever need another appraisal. read more

We utilized this company for a corporate condo lease...our employee was contracted at a local hospital for 3 months and stayed in one of the furnished condos Jonathan and Ed manage. I couldn't not have been more disappointed in their level of professionalism and the quality of customer service they provided. My employee had to report several issues regarding the condo, including non working a/c (on multiple occasions) and a leaking pipe under the sink causing damage to the floor (and as she later found out, damage to their neighbors condo below). When I called Ed to bring these issues to his attention he always came off disgruntled and put out. When her a/c went out for the 3rd time, he waited 4 days to bring a contractor in to resolve the issue. It had gotten up to 96 degrees inside the unit which neither our employee or I thought were acceptable living conditions. I put her in a hotel and contacted Ed letting him know I had made alternate arrangements and that we would need to figure out some sort of rental credit for the whole mess. It wasn't until that point that he made an attempt to resolve the issue but stated that the contractor didn't work for him and so he didn't know when he would be out to get it fixed. Every interaction I had with Ed was negative. I would recommend looking at other short term rental options in the area. read more